Anna Meredith’s Jet Black Raider

Next week marks the release of Anna Meredith’s newest 12”. Incredible news for anyone interested in the frontier of composing and how classical considerations can intermix seamlessly with an environment of electronica and pop.

I became aware of Meredith’s work a couple years ago now. She was still attempting to find a home for her first official record and I was provided some access to work that blew me away. Black Prince Furywas eventually picked up by Moshi Moshi Records last year, presenting a Pandora’s box of creation with its opening number, “Nautilus.”*

From her updates and roundabouts it would seem the release coincided with some dramatic foundation settling as work is now exploding all over with Pitchfork attention, commissions, and various other meanderings. And, as I said atop, she now has a new EP titled Jet Black Raider, which you can buy digitally or in limited edition vinyl (this is the way I would recommend, as most can already assume). In the US, Lefse Records is becoming the official distributor, combining both EPs into one release, and you can order the work digitally starting August 20th, or pre-order the vinyl 12″ set for release in October.

The first single, “Orlock,” again carries this greatness of adventure and curiosity that often lags from the majority of contemporary composition. One sees a traveler on a very windy road who’s found some place for bread crumbs, but in no way has reached an endpoint or place to turn back. Inspiring great strength and creative experimentation, her work highlights how little we know as a world culture and how much there is still to understand about music, expression, and the very act of being alive.

One of the great hopes for the continued resilience of music, to tell us something and take us into unknown territories, I cannot speak enough of how great it is to have her work on the playing field, exploding barriers and forming new bonds of resilience. Each new consideration offers a glimmer of possibility that all we think has been done is not all over yet.

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*The band Foals has also been using “Nautilus” as their intro music, and it’s pretty stunning.